Ganondorf: The Beast King
by MoonFallGiantsWrath
Summary: Delving into the culture of the Gerudo tribe, as well as the origin of Ganondorf. This is the story of how a young prince ignited a war between Hyrule and the Gerudo Valley, became a ruthless killer, and ultimately lost the one he loved the most.
1. Prologue

In the vast desert ruled by the tribe of Gerudo thieves one male king is born every hundred years to rule over the tribe until the next male child is born. These kings are possessed with powerful magics that have been passed on since the tribe was established thousands of years ago. When the male child comes of age he must dispose of the king who came before him. This ancient coming of age is a sacrifice used so that the next in line inherits all the magics of the kings who came before.

When the ritual is complete the new king takes a suffix to his existing name of power. The title is -Dorf the tribe term for 'king' is given to this male for his lifetime to be passed during the next ritual of Tatsu.

However there was a man, a Beast King, who broke this tradition and committed the murder of his king in cold blood. This man led his tribe to war, slaughter and ultimately great disgrace and the ultimate dishonor of serving another king.

This man, this Beast King, was known as Ganondorf.

This is the tale of his birth.

His early training.

His rise as the king

and ultimately

His downfall at the hands of another.


	2. Chapter 1: Birth of the Beast King

A piercing scream shatters the early morning silence in the Gerudo Valley as a woman named Kasima gives birth. Standing around her is a small collection of people including her sister, Zewaro, who has knowledge of medical practices, and has delivered most of the children born into the tribe for the past 15 years. The other women are simply there because of the news that they had heard. The Queen was about to give birth.

There was one other person in the room, not crowding Kasima like the others, but lurking in a dark corner and watching with a detached look that showed interest, but no great amount of concern for the woman he had taken as a wife. This man was the king, Gorotdorf. His name suited him well; it was their native tongue for "Burning King" and even in his old age, around 80 years, he still had a full head of bright ginger hair and piercing orange eyes.

"One more push should do it sister," said Zewaro in a comforting voice that also had a hint of anticipation in it, this child was after all expected to be the next patriarch, "that's it push!"

The cries of an infant suddenly split the air. Gorotdorf shifted slightly in his corner but did not move forward, he had seen his wife give birth several times before now, all of them had been girls and he did not expect this to be any different.

"What gender is the child?" Kasima desperately looking into the shadowed corner where he husband, and her king, stood not coming to embrace her as he had when their first daughter, Inesti, had been born. He did not even come to her bedside to see the child, as he had with their twin daughters, Samia and Ganubi, he simply stood statue stiff in the corner glowering at her. "It had better not be another girl, or I shall leave it in the desert for the beasts to devour along with you" that glare seemed to almost shout to her.

"It's a boy," the shout seemed to echo through the valley, the baby now asleep and wrapped securely in a blanket being held in his mother's arms let out a loud screaming cry at the noise. "He certainly has a set of lungs on him doesn't he sister?" Zewaro laughing as the baby continued to scream.

"He has the howl of a great beast, and hopefully he will have the ferocity of one as well, once we begin his training." Kasima clutched at the blankets holding her newborn son when Gorotdorf spoke these words, shifting forward so his face was in the light. "He has not earned his title as king simply by being born, he has nearly 20 years of hard work ahead of him before he can take my place as ruler. However he does need a name fit for the next King of the Gerudo, barely five minutes into his life and he has already shown that he has the lungs of a great warrior," he gestured at the wailing child, now red in the face from screaming for nearly three minutes straight, "his name shall be Ganon, our ancient word for the Beast, and when he has taken my place he shall be known as Ganondorf Lord of the Gerudo Thieves!"

There were cheers from the women, many more had come when they had heard that the child was male. They quickly left to get back to their duties, the village was being expanded and they had to keep an eye on the workers to make sure they didn't slack off, the only man the Gerudo women trusted being their king.

"Gorot, come out of the shadows and see you son. He looks almost exactly like you my king." Kasima said this tenderly, but knew from experience not to address him with any endearment, he had struck her on occasions when she had forgotten.

What she had said about the child was true, little Ganon had surprising amount of ginger hair, slightly darker than his father's, which had faded with his increasing age. As Gorot approached the child in that cautious way Kasima had always thought to be rather amusing, the child finally stopped wailing and looked with interest at the person approaching. Gorotdorf found himself staring into a pair of red-brown eyes that were the exact same shape and color as his wife's.

"He is an amazing child and I can feel that he has amazing potential. He could be the King that leads our people to greatness." He came then, still with that oddly cautious walk, and embraced his wife and his newborn son.


	3. Chapter 2: Betrayal

5 Years Later

A young ginger haired boy follows closely behind his mother as she rides across the lush green grasses of the field. Ganon had always enjoyed Hyrule Field, the wind here wasn't harsh like in their desert home where the wind burned in the day and chilled terribly during the nights, in the field the wind was gentle and smelled like life.

"Stay close Ganon, I don't want you getting separated from me." This came from the woman riding the chestnut brown horse. Kasima had been in her mid thirties when she'd given birth to her son, in the five years since she had aged rather well but the strain the young boy sometimes put on her showed in her face. She now had worry lines on her brow as well as a scar jaggedly slashed diagonally up her cheek; Gorotdorf had given this scar to her as a punishment when she had protested the start of her son's training when he was only four, she had not protested any of his actions again until now.

"Mommy where are we going?" Inquired the young boy as he spurred his horse, a child of his mother's chestnut mount; he looked at her with large mahogany colored eyes that were surprisingly innocent. "Father told me I'm not supposed to go into this kingdom except for hunting, and we can't be doing that, you haven't brought anyone except for me."

"Hush my child, your father doesn't know that we have left, hopefully we will be safe by the time he finds out and follows. I know you're too young to understand what we're doing but it is truly for the best. Once we enter the Castle Town they cannot take us back without declaring war on Hyrule."

Ganon looked perplexedly at his mother but did not argue, he loved his mother greatly after all and he believed she knew best, though he did not understanding why she wanted them to live in the "Kingdom of the Unclean Blasphemers". Ganon knew nothing of complex and occasionally abusive relationship between his parents, he knew his father was much older but he didn't see anything wrong there their marriage being the only one knew of.

That night they came to a ranch, Kasima knocked on the door several times and it was opened by a rancher with thinning hair and a growing belly, he looked at the visitors with apprehension, but also sincere kindness and curiosity.

"Excuse me sir, my son and I have been traveling for most of the day and need a safe place to rest, I don't have much in the way of money but I'd be willing to pay you what I have." Kasima was nervous, although this man looked kind she still had the instinct that had been bred into her for generations, men were evil unless they were her king.

Talon eyed the woman, she looked barely into her thirties, then noticed the young boy, only barely a young boy by the look of him, and then his face spread in a large sincere grin. "Of course you can stay here, I have an extra bed upstairs and I'm always happy to have some company, the only other person here is my assistant, Ingo, hard working but not much for talking." The woman, Gerudo judging from her tan skin although she had raven hair instead of the usual ginger like her son, started saying something about how much they would need to pay him. "A hot meal, nice conversation, and an hour of work will be fine, I don't need gold. Come in and sit, tell me about yourself, but only if you want to, you do look exhausted."

That night Kasima slept on a mattress stuffed with dry hay, which was much more comfortable than her normal bed, with her son sleeping on a pile of relatively dry hay that Talon had brought for him. For the first time since leaving the valley Kasima did not feel worried about who her husband would be sending after her and their child, she was completely at ease and had almost drifted of to sleep when a hand reached up and grasped her own from the floor. Although she was a thief and a powerful warrior as well she almost screamed from how unexpected this was, the hand that grasped hers was strong and calloused but small and warm as well, it took her a few moments to realize it was not an assassin sent to slit her throat and take her child, if it was she would be dead already.

"Ganon, honey what's the matter?" her voice shook only slightly now, she had mostly gotten over the sudden shock.

"I can't sleep mommy, can I get in the bed with you for tonight?" Kasima had not slept with her child since he had been barely two years old, Gorot had made sure of that, now she lifted him up onto the straw and wrapped him in a motherly embrace. He was a good child, and she hoped that they would be able to get to Castle Town safely the next day because he deserved a better life than what her tribe would give him. This was the last thought she had before drifting off into a heavy sleep.

The next morning she awoke to light coming in through the window and lay watching the motes of dust float in the air for a minute before climbing out of the bed. Her young son was nowhere in immediate sight and neither was Talon. She stretched briefly, feeling a sleepy satisfaction as she heard her joints popping.

Heading down the stairs she saw a man at the table she hadn't met the night before. He was taller than Talon, though also with a moustache and overalls, he also a slightly mad look in his eyes, though not the dangerous madness that she had occasionally seen in warriors that had been lost in the desert where their minds had rotted, but it seemed to have the potential for that type of madness given the right conditions and enough time.

"There was a breakfast laid out for you but it was going cold so I'm having it, I hope you don't mind. If you do mind you can have something when you do some work, Mr. Talon said you agreed to do an hour of work when he let you stay here. The cows need milking and then the milk needs bottling, you can do that while your son finishes shearing the sheep."

This answered the question of the young Gerudo prince's whereabouts, and a part of her conversation from the night before came back to her now at the sight of the slightly mad looking man wiping egg from is moustache. "Are you Mr. Ingo? I think Mr. Talon mentioned you last night." Instead of an answer he simply grunted and waved her towards the door.

Milking the cows was a simple job, as she did it she hummed a tune under her breath, she couldn't remember the name of it but it was one of the Gerudo folk songs, the Requiem of something… the name didn't matter the cows mooed pleasantly, seeming to enjoy the song. After filling five large buckets with the milk she took a supply of empty bottles Talon has left in a corner and began the much slower process of filling each bottle and sealing the cork in with hot wax. This job was much less enjoyable and she did not bother humming this time.

After eating what she felt was a well-earned breakfast she managed to track down her son, he'd been practicing his fence jumps with his young horse and had fallen off of his mount because he had been trying to go much too fast. She laughed to herself as she saw him fall facedown in the mud of the pasture; it was moments like these that she loved the boy most, when he was simply being a child.

After Ganon had washed up and they had thanked both Talon and Ingo they departed the ranch on their horses again towards the drawbridge that marked the edge of Castle Town. Talon had been kind enough to pack them enough food for several days as well as giving Kasima several of the milk bottles she had filled that morning, not taking no for an answer.

Even with the early start it took most of the day to get there. Unfortunately by then the hunters were catching up to them, Gorotdorf was at the head of the pack an iron broadsword across his back and wearing the scaled black armor of the King. There was only one thought repeating itself in his mind on a continuous loop. _Kasima will learn to respect her King, even if it killed her._


	4. Chapter 3: Family Bonds

Gorotdorf was in a murderous rage, the like of which had never been seen by his people. He had ordered them to not only come fully armed but also to kill any creature whether it was human or monster, that crossed their path without hesitation. While the thieves did not know all the specifics of this mission they had been told a basic objective by the king: intercept the young prince and his mother and return them to the valley to face punishment.

Gossip had spread through the tribe when this mission had been ordered, partly because of the extremes Gorotdorf seemed to be taking to intercept the deserters. Not only were they coming in fully armed to the teeth, but also the King had garbed his own battle armor along with the ritual sword. This royal armor was darker than obsidian and not made from chains but the large black scales, supposedly from an ancient demon. The sword was massive broadsword with a winged guard and a unique blade that resembled three diamonds with three spikes on each side of the blade placed at even intervals. The rumors seemed to be getting spread equally by the women but also the few strange talking stones scattered around the valley. Supposedly the Queen had taken the young prince and fled the valley for Hyrule.

"Intercept her, drag her from her horse and tie her hands tightly, the ropes should cut in the flesh of her wrists until she bleeds! She has committed high treason against the tribe and her punishment will not be any less because she is the queen. Do not hurt the child or you will face the same punishment Kasima will!" Gorotdorf had screamed this from his black armor-clad horse as they rode across the bridge and down the cliffs towards the border between the two kingdoms.

Though no one had said it out loud many had begun thinking it, this was not just a capture mission, they seemed prepared for an all out war against Hyrule and despite disagreements in the past this was something the women did not wish to happen. Hylians were good trade partners; the guards of castle town used the iron weapons forged in the valley because the tribe had been able to master the art of purifying iron, a technique that had been lost many years ago and only recently rediscovered by the Gerudo women. These weapons were traded for several varieties of food that could not be grown in the mostly sterile desert. If they declared war many would die not just from the violence related casualties but also from the lack of a food they had come to depend on from their neighbor kingdom.

The army was now entering the neutral zone that neither they nor Hyrule had a claim to, a small amount of land that had only sparse bushes and a few scraggly patches of grass breaking through the stone, in another day they would reach Hyrule Field and it would be another two or three days until they came to the drawbridge of the castle. They made camp in the neutral zone at the kings orders, for although the rage seemed to be boiling off of him and his ginger hair stood up and seemed to move like flames, he also knew that Kasima was a skilled warrior, and she would be completely able to outmatch all of the warriors that were coming to retrieve her.

Zewaro sat near one of the small fires they had built talking with three other warriors, Inesti, Samia and Ganubi, her three nieces, and the elder sisters of young Prince Ganon. Zewaro was very close with her nieces, she had found that she could not have children so she considered them her own daughters. She knew they were fond of her as well, Kasima had never had much to do with her daughters, females born of the Gerudo king were not honored as royalty and were either left in the desert to die or given to another woman for care. Zewaro had trained each of them extensively in combat, and although they were quite young, Samia and Ganubi being only sixteen and Inesti nineteen, they had quickly surpassed their aunt in combat.

Inesti had the closest resemblance to her mother and her name suited her well, for it meant Star of the Evening, she had long raven hair falling nearly to her waist, currently braided with a blade at the end she had learned to use very skillfully in combat. Her eyes were her only resemblance to the king, they were the same fierce shade of orange as his, one that was rarely seen outside of the royal line.

Although Samia and Ganubi were twins they were not identical in appearance or personality, however they shared an ability for magic, which was not uncommon between Gerudo twins, being children of the king they had much more raw magical power than many other warriors. Samia had short brown hair, currently tied in a small ponytail with a rawhide string, while her sister had shoulder length blonde hair that flowed unbound over her shoulders like fine golden thread. When they had first begun their training in the magical arts Samia had found she was inclined towards lightning manipulation while Ganubi was able manipulate water, a skill considered very useful in their desert home.

The four women sat talking about the situation at hand, all clearly uncomfortable at the prospect of having to fight and capture Kasima, but they would not disobey their orders and they would not hesitate if the situation called for violence. Gorotdorf showed no favor for his daughters or sister-in-law, in fact he had ordered them to lead in the capture of the deserters.

"I just don't understand why she would do it, why now? Especially when she knows she can't get escape with our brother without the King demanding that she be brought back."

"It is complicated Samia, your mother assumed that the king would not be willing to declare an all out war against Hyrule over an issue like this, unfortunately for her she was wrong. It seems that a civil war is inevitable and it won't end swiftly." Zewaro sat cross-legged facing Samia across the fire, the flames throwing her face into a dancing mix of light and dark.

"I can't help thinking that father has finally gone mad. He was never far from the edge, at least when it came to Kasima, he was always paranoid about what she would do to his son. The only thing we can do is listen to what he tells us and stay out of the reach of his sword." Inesti spoke bluntly, ignoring the shocked looks her sisters gave her, not only because she had accused the king of madness but also because she had referred to him as Father, something that was likely to get her clouted around the head by the king if he heard her using such endearments.

"You'd better not let him hear you speaking like that Inesti or he'll likely make you the one to execute Kasima, he knows it would hurt you most to be the one to has to end her life, after all you're the closest to her." Ganubi regretted the words as soon as she had uttered them; Inesti had given her a look of anger that resembled their father's much too closely, it had flashed across her face for only an instant before she masked it with her usual indifference.

"I may have been closest with Kasima but I can assure you Ganubi, I would not hesitate to kill her where she stands if Father had not ordered her taken alive. She has stolen the heir to the throne, deserted her tribe and has brought our kingdom to the brink of a war we are not likely to win. She deserves whatever sentence she gets and if I am the one ordered to kill her I will not hesitate to follow the order."

The conversation waned after this unsettling statement and eventually the four women departed to their tents for a night of rest. Sleep took a long time to finally come to them, and none slept particularly well, each having fitful nightmares that did not depart from them until the light of morning crested over the peak of Death Mountain.

In the small, cramped and run down house where she was currently living with her child, Kasima of the Raven Hair slept on a bed of damp straw with her child wrapped loosely in her arms. She had no idea that in less than 24 hours a declaration of war would come from Hyrule Castle and she would be forced to kill those she loved for the one she loved most.


	5. Chapter 4: The Paladin

Sunlight streamed through gaps in the small shack's ceiling, motes of dust danced in the light. For that moment Kasima was completely at peace with herself and the world. She was happy to simply have her child, and relieved to be away from Gorotdorf at last, if that was only for a short amount of time.

Sadly, moments cannot last forever. Fear, irritation and surprise swiftly replaced her feeling of contentment and happiness when she heard someone hammering quite hard on her front door. Sliding off the small bed, she absently wiped a stray piece of straw from her raven colored locks. Wiping sleep from her eyes as she walked barefooted to the door, she barely noticed her son still sleeping.

When she opened the door to see who was calling at this early hour she was taken by surprise by the man in her doorway. He was tall and well muscled, with dark blonde hair, mostly covered by a floppy green cap. He also had the most beautiful eyes Kasima had ever seen, not the dark brown or fiery orange of a Gerudo but a pale sky blue. It was only after she dragged her gaze away from those eyes that she noticed something more unsettling about her visitor; he had a long sword on strapped to his back, with the crest of the Hyrule Royal Family on the hilt. This man was clearly a Hylian knight.

"Good morning ma'am," Kasima noticed how his voice was quite pleasant to listen to, "I'm sorry for obscene earliness of this visit but I have to inform you of an important matter that couldn't wait. The Desert Tribe that lives in the North-Western Desert has entered Hyrule Field and they seem prepared for war. I've been asked to request that all people living closest to the drawbridge move further into the town. This area is where they will likely attack first if they breach our defenses. Your house is currently the only one that seems to still be occupied – all the other residents have moved further into Castle town already."

Kasima was taken aback; she hadn't expected Gorotdorf to come for her so quickly. She had made the assumption that he would wait a week for her to return before sending out a small party to find her, however it sounded as though he had brought an army. She had always been afraid of him; he was a man with a brutal temper, the scar across her face was proof enough of that. However she had thought of him as a man who could be pushed to complete insanity, she now realized too late that this mistake might result in her death.

"Thank you for informing me, but there is no one in the town who would take me in. Thank you for the warning though Sir -"

"Roland, and there's no need to address me with a title – I may be a knight but I have never liked being called Sir. Now that you know my name I'd be honored to know yours, if you would be so kind as to tell me. I'm sure it's beautiful."

Kasima decided to go with her instinct and trust the young knight. She gave a silent prayer to the Goddess, hoping she was doing the right thing, before she answered him. "I'm Kasima, and my son is named Ganon. He's asleep at the moment." She gestured to the mass of blankets on the straw bed. A sound was coming from it resembled a creature slowly choking to death; her son was infamous for his snoring.

As she spoke Roland took a closer look at the woman. She was obviously not a Hylian; her skin was deeply tanned, darker than even the skin of the Sheikah tribe. She had an unfamiliar accent as well, though she did a good job concealing it. Roland slowly moved his hand to the hilt of his rapier; there was a chance this woman was from the Desert Tribe he had come to warn her about. Whether she was here to find weaknesses in the town or assassinate the King it was his duty to deal with her.

Kasima saw his hand moving to take his weapon and realized she was at a dead end. If she said nothing now he would capture her or more likely kill her because she was clearly associated with the people preparing the assault on the town. If she told the truth about why she was here she would be executed or, goddess help her, simply be handed over to her husband.

As for Ganon, she was sure the King of Hyrule would like the idea of controlling the Gerudo tribe by imprisoning their future king. Desperately hoping that she had not made a mistake in trusting Roland she grabbed the hand that was inches from drawing the sword and held it firmly in her own smaller hands. She had made her decision and took a moment to make a final prayer to the Goddess, asking to be forgiven if she were to die.

"Roland, you have every reason to be suspicious of me, but if you'd come in I could explain my situation, then you can decide how to deal with me." She found tears were welling in her eyes, not because she expected to die but because she was afraid of what would happen to her child.

Roland decided that it might be in his interest to hear what she had to say; she could have valuable information that would help in the upcoming battle. She led him into the small house and Roland sat down at the dirty wooden table, he crossed one leg over the other watching her as she wiped the tears from her dark eyes before she began her story.

"I knew you suspected me of being from the Desert Tribe, and you were right. I promise you I am not here as a spy, or as a part of the invading army." Roland's expression slowly changed from disbelief to genuine concern as well as surprise as she continued her story. "I am actually the Queen of the Tribe, my title has little meaning however, I chose be an exile with my son because I could not have his father train him, Gorotdorf is a cruel man. He's the one leading the army, and he's coming to take my child." Roland noted that she had said 'my child' not our child'.

"If you are the Queen of the tribe would you be able to give us any information on the best way to defend the town from your army?"

"I could, I'd hate to see my sisters murdered in the battle, but their lives would be lost so my son can live free."

Roland tried to hide his shock at her cold regard for the lives of anyone but her child. "Kasima, I should kill you for endangering Hyrule and give your son back to his father, but I have a deal that could be of benefit for both of us. You and your son will accompany me to Hyrule Castle, you will have a place to live there as well as protection from any who would cause you harm. In return you will tell the King everything, and I mean _everything_ about the Desert Tribe's army." He took a moment to let the options sit in her mind. Come and inform King Harkinian about the weaknesses of her tribe's army, or be murdered in this small dirty shack and have her son turned over to his father.

"Roland, I'll go with you, but I have a condition of my own as well." At the moment he saw that she was not just a young mother, she was a trained killer. "I want to fight, for Hyrule. Even though I've only lived here a few days this place has been a better home to me than the desert ever was."

Kasima went over to the shape on the bed. The horrible choking noises had stopped; Ganon had heard most of their conversation but had not stirred. Grabbing the corner of the blanket she pulled it off of him underneath was a small ginger-haired boy wearing a dirty gray tunic. Ganon sat up and looked at the knight with polite curiosity, but said nothing.

"Ganon honey, Mother is going to take you to the castle with this nice man. His name is Roland." She took the hand of the small boy and led him out the door with Roland heading in the direction of the castle.

A/N: I'm sorry about the issues this chapter had before with the formatting. I retyped the entire thing. I want to thank Dances With Vampires for helping me edit this chapter as well.


	6. Chapter 5: The Blade in the Braided Hair

The battle rage descended upon her as it had so many times before. It did not come as a complete shock to find that she had missed the feeling, the red fury clouding her mind and she welcomed it. She struck out with her long sword, saw it pierce the weak leather armor of her foe, heard the shriek of mixed pain and fury as the woman she had impaled fell to her knees. She felt the warm gush of blood as she removed her sword from the woman's chest. She had pierced one her lungs; she was not going to die swiftly. Deciding to give her an honorable death she lifted the bleeding woman up by her hair and cleanly decapitated her. Her headless body fell heavily to the stained grass of Hyrule Field with the neck spurting crimson. Her head dropped a few seconds later, with her dark eyes still open and an expression of hate still twisting the face.

She hadn't been the first Gerudo to be killed by her long sword, the blade of which was now completely scarlet. The battle had been going for several hours with neither side willing to give up an inch. At that moment it seemed that this battle was only the beginning. Kasima, mother of Ganon, did not mind that idea in the least.

It had taken a surprisingly short amount of time to convince Roland and the King that she was willing to fight and to die for Hyrule and for her son's safety. After that had been accomplished Roland had escorted her to the armory and she had found some armor to her liking: Gerudo-forged Black Iron. However she decided only to take the chainmail shirt along with the short sword and long sword, armor on her legs would have reduced her speed on the battle field.

Black iron was made when an iron sword was forged over hot coal; it was difficult to create. However it was lighter and stronger than regular iron, Hyrule had obviously paid well to acquire this armor. It seemed fitting to be using weapons forged by her own tribe in her hands. Kasima recognized the cruel irony as well, she was going to be using these weapons to murder her own people, but it was all for her son's sake.

Kasima spotted Roland across the battlefield. His green tunic was slashed in several places so that the chainmail showed through and was stained a reddish-brown with blood, either his own or someone else's. As she watched him he took a woman by surprise and she was consequentially run through with his rapier, the blade protruding out the back of her armor.

Turning away from this scene of bloodshed she saw a black armor horse rampaging through the battle. Her dark eyes widened in shock and horror at what she saw. It was not the horse that terrified her but the creature riding it. Creature. That was the only word that could describe the rider – it looked like some sort of demon that had crawled from a Goddess-forsaken crack in the earth.

Kasima did not recognize the creature for who it really was right away. His body had been horribly transfigured, or maybe _disfigured_ was a more accurate word in this case. The scales of his armor appeared to be fused to his skin and though he was normally a heavily muscled man he appeared broader in the shoulders and chest, with multiple veins pulsing in his forearms and neck. His ginger hair had become a burning mass of fire and his dark brown skin was now a mix of black and gray. His nails had lengthened into talons and an X shaped scar stood out a shocking white against his darkened skin. Kasima nearly fainted as she realized it was not in fact a demon, it was Gorotdorf wielding the awesome and terrible magik of the Gerudo king at it's fullest. As he rode across the bloody grass of Hyrule he stuck down no fewer than five Hylian soldiers with his broadsword Ghahin. Each was bifurcated at the waist, with a single strike. Gorotdorf laughed manically as their blood sprayed black and steaming from their severed bodies. Those who did not die right away had their skulls crushed by the hooves of the black horse as he rode on to find more victims.

Distracted by this unspeakable horror, Kasima barely had time to dodge the black iron scimitar aiming to end the long relationship between her head and neck. Instead the sword removed only a few strands of dark hair that had slipped from her braid as well as causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. Mentally cursing herself for becoming distracted in the middle of a battlefield Kasima looked up and saw a familiar woman with short-cropped brown hair facing her.

"Little sister, I would say it's good to see you but I'm afraid it isn't give the circumstances you've gotten everyone into." Zewaro sheathed her twin scimitars at her waist and walked over to Kasima. She offered her sister a hand and Kasima took it gratefully, pulling herself up from the ground and embracing older sister. Zewaro pushed her away gently and gave a sad but determined look that broke Kasima's heart. "You know what I have to do. He wants you alive; you were lucky even to receive that much from him. If it's avoidable I'd prefer not to hurt you, but if you force me I will kill you."

Kasima said nothing. She wiped the tears from her eyes and drew her swords, the longer one in her right and the short in her dominant left. Sighing, Zewaro drew her scimitars, holding them in her right hand to give the illusion of a single blade.

The elder of the sisters struck first however she was blocked by Kasima's long sword catching her blades in mid-swing; sparks flew from both blades as the clashed. Kasima stabbed at her sister with the short sword and Zewaro twisted her body away to avoid any vital points being hit. The sword left a gash along the right side of her waist, just above her hip. The slice was bleeding but not a great amount, which hopefully meant it was shallow.

Separating her curved blades Zewaro struck out with each in quick succession aiming for the wrists in a vain attempt to disarm her. Kasima was familiar with this move and dodged it cleanly, and spun closer to her opponent whipping her dark braid at her face. The braid swung like a dark snake and struck Zewaro in the head, the blade woven at the end carved a deep and jagged line across her face from her cheek up to her hairline. Shrieking in agony Zewaro cursed the Goddess, cursed her sister and cursed Kasima's husband, her right eye felt as though it had exploded. Blood poured from the gash across her face, her empty socket seemed to cry scarlet tears as it filled with her slowly draining life. Her right eye now hung sightless and misshapen on her cheek, still connected to the bloody hole in her face by the cord of nerves.

Despite the burning agony Zewaro managed to use her twin sword to block the long sword that had swung towards her. Her vision had been reduced to half and blood ran continuously into her remaining eye so she was unable to see the short sword that stabbed into her side, piercing her stomach and her lung.

Kasima watched her older sister fall to the ground half-blind with the short sword still buried in her side. The battle rage she had felt was gone. Kneeling down she cradled her dying sister in her arms, noticing that she could see the white of her sister's skull because of how deep her sister had been cut. Zewaro tried to speak to her sister but all that came out was a large amount of blood, which drenched Kasima's hands a bright shocking red. She tried again and although blood continued pouring from her mouth her words were clear enough to be effective.

"You have killed me to save him." She dipped a trembling hand into a pool of her own cooling blood and raised her arm to Kasima's face. She wiped three fingers across her face leaving a trio of dripping scarlet lines. "His life will be cursed and his early death will bring shame to you and the tribe." With these final chilling words Zewaro spat blood on her sister's cheek before becoming still.


	7. Chapter 6: Lies and Taboo

Amidst the chaos of the battle no one took the time to notice the three, cloaked figures that had scaled the east wall of Castle Town. They moved swiftly and silently through the deserted streets. If they were seen no one made an effort to inquire about their identities.

The moved through the shadows of the Town Square and were soon headed towards the castle itself. They knew that Hyrule Castle was impenetrable to opposing armies; however this didn't mean it was impossible for a small group of skilled warriors to enter undetected. They had been given a very specific assignment by the king and would sacrifice their lives to accomplish it.

They entered through the front gate, a surprisingly easy task. There was just a single guard, he was half drunk and it was obvious he didn't want to be on duty. The tallest figure handed him a small handful of red rupees and he opened the gate giving them a small bow after he did so. They headed to the east wall where the shadows were deepest and began to climb. Each removed a pair of black iron daggers from their cloak and ascended the wall by stabbing into the mortar between the bricks.

It took only a few minutes to scale the wall and drop to the other side. After the third figure had dropped on the neatly scythed lawn they headed for a servants' entrance and quietly slipped through the unlocked door. The room they entered into was the castle's kitchen; it was large but simple to navigate. A large steaming sink sat against one wall with cooking pots soaking in it. Against the other wall was a large oven and a roasting spit; both were empty at the moment, along with the rest of the room.

Slowly opening the door into the hall they made sure no one was coming from either end they crept out into the corridor. They were able to go through the lowest floors of the castle without being challenged, but on the fifth floor they came to a door that had been chained shut. At a nod from the tallest her companions moved forward toward the lock. After a short amount of time they proceeded through, being careful to avoid the molten puddle that had been the lock and chains.

They followed this routine through another two floors of the castle, destroying the locks that impeded their progress along the way. On the seventh floor they came across what they had been searching for. It was sturdy door of Deku wood with iron fastenings, but unlike the other doors of the castle this one had been fitted with an ornate violet and crimson horned lock fastened with thick gold chain. Whether this was to keep people such as them out, or to keep the occupant inside they didn't know or care.

The tallest figure studied this complex mechanical wonder for nearly an entire minute; finally she turned to face her companions and lowered her dark hood, her sisters quickly followed suit.

Samia addressed her elder sister in a whisper. "Inesti, you're sure that this is they room they are keeping him in? If someone else is in there we won't have second chance."

"Have I ever been wrong Samia? I can tell it's him; he reeks of the same magik as the other. It is either the boy or the king in that room. Last I checked our dear father was rampaging around the battlefield and killing everything that moved.

"We just need to make sure this isn't a mistake," Ganubi's voice was softer than her sisters' and despite the situation it was just as measured and calm as always. "Our mission was to come in, take him and leave without being caught. If they find us they will kill us along with the boy."

"The only way to find out is to go into the room, but as I said, unless they have found a way to steal or imitate this type of magik, which is impossible, then it must be the prince." Inesti turned from her sisters to once again face the ornate lock that sealed the door. It was too heavily enchanted with Old Magik to melt as they had done to the smaller locks before now. They also did not have time to waste on finding the key.

Unfortunately for them this left only one option and they knew that the king would murder them personally if he found out they had broken the taboo. If, however, they kept their mouths shut and got their stories straight it would not be a problem. Samia and Ganubi stepped forward placing their hand on the thick golden chains while Inesti placed the flat of her palm against keyhole. Taking a breath in unison the felt the forbidden magik flowing through them.

Ganon had been staying in one of the castle's many spare bedrooms for about three days, although he didn't mind being there, for it had a comfortable bed and a small larder with cold milk and food. He did miss his mother and for the thousandth time he wondered why she had taken him to the kingdom his father had always said was full of blasphemous savages. These thoughts never stayed in his head for long; he loved his mother and had always thought she knew best and if she thought it was best that they should live in this kingdom he wasn't going to question it.

During the three days the young prince spent most of his time sleeping, he had never been in such a luxurious bed before in his life. In the valley he had slept on a pile of hay that was usually damp. When he was not enjoying the bed he played with the items Roland had brought for him. There was a small wooden ocarina that he had tried playing a few times, he attempted a song his mother sometimes hummed but wasn't able to get it right. What Ganon really enjoyed was the small army of twenty soldiers. Like the ocarina they were made from wood, and each had been carved with amazing attention to detail and the boy spent almost as much time studying them as he did staging violent battles. He had forgotten o thank Roland for bringing them.

Ganon wasn't entirely sure what to think of the blond paladin. The only other male he knew was his father and Roland seemed like his exact opposite in every way. When he did think about it, which was only once during his relatively short stay at the castle, he decided that Roland was nice enough, for a blasphemous savage.

The third evening of his stay Ganon was busy doing battle with the toy soldiers, not realizing that a very real and much bloodier battle was happening only a few miles away in Hyrule Field. He heard footsteps in the hallway outside but didn't pay much attention to them; people had been walking past his room quite often since he had come.

He finally looked up when the footsteps stopped outside the door of his room. He walked over and put his ear to the wood, and was able to faintly hear voices. The only phrase that came clearly was "He reeks of the same magik as the other," but he had no idea what this meant. He heard them walking closer to the door and although he was young he was able to tell that it was more than one person approaching. He decided, on instinct, to back away from the door in case it was suddenly thrown open.

A blast of black fire licked under the bottom of the door briefly, only a few seconds more and the dry wood would have started burning. Barely a second after the fire disappeared there was a sound of something made of heavy metal clattering to the stones. The next thing he knew the door was open and Ganon was looking at two women he didn't know and one he thought he did.

He looked up at the woman standing in his doorway with wide eyes, full of hope and terror in equal measure. She had raven colored hair and a curved sword at her hip; her eyes were the color of orange flames. The single word slipped softly and hopefully out of the young boy's mouth. "Mother?"

The woman smirked at him and Ganon knew that it wasn't Kasima that had come to get him. She stepped into the room and was followed closely behind by the two younger women. He noticed the large burn on the front of the door and saw the large lock lying on the stone floor of the corridor. His eyes began to fill with tears; he hated the way the woman was looking at him, she knew that what she had to tell him would make him cry and she wanted to savor every tear that rolled down his cheeks.

Even her voice was the same as his mother's, but Kasima would never speak to him with such cruelty in her voice. He was so shocked by what she told him, he didn't even register the endearment she used for him.

"I'm sorry brother. Kasima is dead."


	8. Chapter 7: Training and Reflection

Five Years Later

An angry scream broke the silence of the windy desert. Two men, one is old and one is young but both have same flaming ginger hair are out in this sandstorm together. The King considers it to be 'training' for the young prince.

"If this is the best that you can do, I'd might as well leave you here in the storm for the buzzards to pick apart!" Despite his ever increasing age Gorotdorf was able to swing fast and hard with an uppercut to the stomach of the young boy. Ganon doubled over wheezing on the ground, it was hard enough to breathe already because of the blowing dirt.

Gorotdorf was now almost ninety, and his strength was fading. It was a slight difference, only he and the boy could really tell. A year ago a punch like the one he had delivered would have left Ganon with several broken ribs. Of course this wasn't just because Gorotdorf was getting older, Ganon was older as well. He was only ten years old, still much more of a boy than a man, but in the five years since he had been reclaimed from his weak mother he had grown strong. He was almost strong enough to fight his father evenly, but almost was not good enough for Gorotdorf.

The king had started fighting dirty about two years before to make up for the increasing strength of his son. His uppercut had landed because moments before he had thrown dirt into the boy's eyes. Ganon was willing to fight dirty as well, after all it was how his father had taught him. Ganon lay on the ground watching his father as he came closer, probably to give either a kick to his head or to bring his foot down onto his back. He reached for a thin belt strapped to his calf and pulled a short iron knife from its holder.

Both of them were barefoot, they rarely wore shoes and the soles of their feet were black with dirt and tough with calluses. Gorotdorf was too busy enjoying what he thought was fear in the boy's eyes, eyes that reminded him so much of the boy's traitor mother. He didn't see the knife until Ganon had plunged it into his foot, obviously by then it was much too late for him to do anything about it. Screaming in frustration and pain he wrenched the knife from his foot, causing the wound to gush blood more furiously. His one consolation was that it hadn't actually gone in as deep as it could have, he thanked the Goddess for that, if it had his foot would have been pinned to the ground.

Ganon couldn't help smiling as he climbed to his feet, a large black and purple bruise had started blooming on his bare chest. He watched his father's attempt to stand on a single leg while his left foot poured blood turning the sand around it a shocking scarlet. He always felt a breed of dark satisfaction when his father was humbled, no matter how temporary it might be. Ganon knew that he and his father would never have anything more or less than contempt for each other, there was too much hatred between them for anything else.

Gorotdorf hated his son because of his youth, seeing the boy so full of life and strength only made his own increasing weakness much clearer. That was not his only reason, the boy did not know how truly like his mother he really was. All he had truly inherited from the king was physical appearance, his passion and skill for armed combat, his loathsome compassion for the weak, and even a portion of his magik was from Kasima. Gorotdorf had owed her a life debt and through Ganon's birth it had been repaid.

Ganon's hatred was less complex, he believed that Gorotdorf was the one to blame for the death of his mother. He also feared his father in a way he could not completely explain, even to himself. He feared that through this training he would become just like his father. This was of course the king's intention, to turn his son into a man so filled with hatred he would declare war on another country over a child. The war was still going on, and Gorotdorf refused to explain why he continued sending members of the tribe to be killed.

Ganon was brought out of his thoughts by a violent blow to the back of his head and his father snarling in his ear.

"We're returning to the village, you'd best keep up or you'll be left in the desert for the night."

Ganon hurried to follow his father, he was finally beginning to feel the pain from the bruise on his chest, and from the lump that had started swelling on the back of his head now as well. They walked in an uncomfortable silence, after the first year of training Ganon had learned that a complaint about his injuries would only earn him a backhanded strike to the face.

Despite the gash in his foot Gorotdorf increased his pace, leaving a gap of several feet between him and his child. The knife had left a deep cut, and although it now had a black scab of dried blood it still occasionally wept tears of crimson, which hit the sand and were greedily sucked up by the dry desert.

The found himself thinking of his daughters, which was very unusual, he normally did not acknowledge that his daughters even existed. He only thought of them now because of the wound in his foot. Children tended to be troublesome. His daughters had the potential to be a major problem, and any problems not dealt with before the ritual would fall to Ganon, and the boy was too soft to deal with them. It seemed that his children all grew stronger as he grew weaker, and those goddess-be-damned daughters had been gaining in power for over twenty years. Recently their magical skills had accelerated at an even more alarming than before. Their skills were still not close to his, but they still had another five years _at least_ before the boy could do the ritual, and in that time they may grow strong enough to murder him. It was common knowledge in the tribe that the three women absolutely despised him, Inesti especially, and now they had begun training the boy in magik.

Samia and Ganubi would be easily dealt with however; they were at the right age to begin paying tribute to the witches of the temple. No, it was Inesti that posed the biggest threat to him. She still disliked the boy and was as brutal as Gorotdorf himself when it came to training, but she was teaching him to use the power only a king should possess, a stolen birthright, Inesti was teaching him Sargoro, the black hellfire.

Gorotdorf had found out that she had broken the taboo he had placed on her, not just once but multiple times. Instead of having her executed Gorotdorf ordered her to train the boy to use it, saving him the trouble of having to do that task himself. Inesti not only possessed the power, but she had mastered the spells to use it at the unheard of age of thirteen. She had to be dealt with, and soon.

The king was pulled from his dark thoughts as they reached the gate, it had been constructed to act as a partial barrier to the destructive winds. He raised a dark fist and smashed it into the wood three times, the gate opened almost immediately. Those who kept the king waiting were locked in the training grounds and left for a week with no food or weapons.

Ganon was finished training with his father for the day, his knife trick had made sure of that. The problem was he never knew what to when he wasn't training. The women of the village were kind enough, but that was because they had to be. He briefly considered going to his sister for a magik lesson but he decided that he could not take another beating, this time from Inesti, especially because she used magik. Ganon decided that he would go to the archery range and get practice in with his bow.

Archery had never his strongest skill, armed close combat came more naturally to him. However he had recently finished a session in the training grounds, which was filled with the stalfos of those who had kept the king waiting at the gate, and he had acquired some magical arrows. According to Samia the froze anything they hit, but Ganon wanted more specific details so he decided before he tested them he would ask her about them again.

He walked into her small living space just as she was gathering supplies for a desert journey. Not taking even a moment to consider she might be busy he tapped her on the shoulder and asked his question. "It freezes them, but doesn't that mean the arrowhead won't actually hit them?"

Samia sighed and tucked a strand of blonde hair back behind her ear before saying, "What are you talking about now Ganon, can't you see I'm busy?" She gestured to the array of weapons and the half packed supplies before her.

"The ice arrows, if they freeze the person then they won't get hit by the actual arrowhead right? Doesn't that mean they aren't actually as good?"

"I don't know alright, just go test them out, Ganubi needs my help to collect water from the oasis, the wells here are dry because of this drought. She also said something about being attacked by purple leevers last time she tried to go, so we need more weapons now too."

Ganon was going to ask another question but he saw Samia reaching for her sword. Her long, and very sharp hand forged sword. Deciding it would be in his best interest not to have her run him through he ran from her quarters to the archery range in what must have been record time.

He expected the range to be deserted, except possibly for the woman who tended to the horses, but he saw someone waiting for him when he crested the top of the hill. He didn't recognize who it was, and that was no surprise.

Ghirahim smiled as he observed the boy, no one but a newly crowned king had seen his physical form in over 1000 years.


	9. Chapter 8: Creation and Destruction

Ghirahim smirked as he saw the boy cresting the top of the hill. It always felt good when he returned to his physical body. He knew he only had enough power to stay this way for a few hours. After that he would need to wait for the boy. The child would come eventually as destiny could not be avoided. If this time was put to good use he would free himself and his master. That is, if Ghirahim decided he wanted his master free again.

The youth stopped at the top of the hill, nearly twenty feet from where Ghirahim was waiting. They stood for nearly a full minute without exchanging a word. The contrast between their appearances was so great it was nearly comical. One was a beaten young boy with tan skin, flaming ginger hair and the mahogany eyes of his mother. The other was an ageless Demon Lord with pale skin and white hair, wearing a diamond-patterned robe.

After what seemed like an eternity Ganon finally moved, raising his bow, aiming at the face of the dark stranger. He reached into his quiver and grabbed one of his oddly enchanted arrows. He loaded it and pulled back the string. The arrow fired true and trailed a chilling blue mist in its wake, but was stopped abruptly in midflight.

The demon smiled and plucked the frozen arrow out of the air. The enchantment caused ice to creep up his gloved hand, but it shattered when he snapped the arrow into pieces. He let the two soggy pieces fall to the ground at the pointed toes of his boots.

"Such a cute little enchantment," the sorcerer's voice was soft and did not match his flamboyant appearance. "Enchanted arrows will never be useful, at least not to you." He snapped his fingers and a stool flew from the stables, knocking Ganon's knees out from under him as he was hit from behind. "Please," he continued in that delicate, dangerous voice, "sit down, my prince. I assure you I'm a friend, not a fiend." It was not a request. It was a demand. Ghirahim snapped his fingers again and a black throne crashed to the ground on four carved wooden claws. The man—no, he was more demon than man—sat on his throne, crossing his diamond-patterned legs.

"You say you're a friend, but I have no idea who you are." Ganon wasn't scared. However, he was angry for being ordered around by this creature. He also didn't appreciate having his legs knocked out from under his already battered and bruised body.

The creature's black eyes glinted with the wicked humor of a private joke. "I am the greatest weapon of the Gerudo Kings. You will be king, so I am your friend as well." His grin spread as he saw the boy's frustration growing. If he pushed a little more he would be at breaking point. That would be most enjoyable indeed.

"What are you?" I want a straight answer!" Ganon focused magik in his left palm. If he didn't get answers soon he would start throwing lightning until he got them.

Ghirahim's eyes narrowed as he felt the boy charging an attack. "Stop that foolish attempt at magik, it won't do you any good. I told you boy, I am the weapon of the king. I am the sword of the ritual. If you insist on having a name, call me Ghahin. I used to have another name but no living creature in this realm knows it now." This was not completely true. The despicable shadow tribe still knew his original name, but they were nearly extinct. "Tell me child, what do you know about the legend of creation?"

Ganon opened his mouth to reply, but Ghahin continued speaking as though he hadn't wanted a response. "There were five. Din created the land of Hyrule, including this sterile desert where you are forced to live. Nayru created the natural laws, including the ability to feel pain. She let you feel the sandstorms ripping and blistering your skin. Farore created the Hylians. They became the pets of the goddesses, meant to uphold the biased laws set in place. They were also the only race the Goddesses believed worthy of possessing magik."

Ghahin spat at the dust at his feet, showing just how much he cared about the laws of the Goddesses. "When they finished what they believed to be their sacred duty, they left this land, but not completely. They had used so much of their power in the process of creation that they had left a great amount of it behind. Unable to return, they murdered a lesser goddess, Hylia, turning her into a mortal creature. Her duty was to guard the power they had left, and to make sure your tribe stayed in the desert that had been created for the creatures the Goddesses considered _unworthy_." This last word was filled with such an amount of murderous desire that it almost seemed tangible for a moment.

"And the fifth, she was the Sand Goddess?" Ganon's interest had been piqued. He had never heard the legend told this way before. "The fifth was the Sand Goddess who showed us mercy and helped us to survive by sending the first king."

Ghahin smiled bitterly at the innocence and ignorance of the child. "No, your Sand Goddess does not exist. The goddess you worship is Din, the one who banished you to this wasteland." The look of horror and betrayal on the child's face gave him the sweetest sense of satisfaction he had ever known.

"The fifth was an all-powerful Demon King of chaos and hatred. He was older and more powerful than the weak female creatures that claimed they were Gods. He created chaos and he created your tribe. The goddesses came and took his sacred creation. They perverted it into their own horrid design. Finally, they stole his power and sealed his body into a sword that was supposed to destroy him."

"So he died after they sealed him?" Ganon's anger with Ghahin was completely forgotten, replaced with fascination for his story. He had heard the story the Hylians told. They believed the Goddesses were benevolent deities who loved all creation. On the contrary, the way Ghahin told it made it obvious that they only cared about their own creations. Creations they had stolen from another god.

"His body did die, but he forged a sword using black fire and the iron of a hero's blood. He bound a piece of his soul into the blade, I am that piece. I allowed his soul to remain in this realm and be reborn as a blessing to _his_ chosen people. He became your first king, and has remained with his creations ever since."

"You mentioned the Goddesses left power behind after they returned to their home. What kind of power did they leave?"

Ghahin resisted the urge to shout for joy at the greed he saw in the eyes of the young boy. "They called it the…" Ghahin uttered a word that sounded to Ganon like 'trayfors'. "Whoever touches it first has their heart's desire granted to them. It is the reason your father has continued the war on Hyrule for so long. He seeks it for himself."

"What would he wish for?" The innocence of a child had once again clouded the boy's mind, anyone but Ganon could look at the aging Gorotdorf and tell immediately what his heart's desire was.

All trace of emotion was gone from Ghahin's face now. It was important that he did this right. The boy must go to the temple after their conversation was finished. "He wants to end any usefulness that you could have. He wants eternal youth. With that power he could dispose of you and remain king for all eternity. He is close to finding the trayfors, my prince, and once he has it you will be dead."

Ganon was speechless. He felt as though Ghahin had carved open his chest and removed his heart. He always knew that his father was bitter about growing old, but if Ghahin was speaking the truth then Gorotdorf had finally gone completely mad.

Ganon found that his voice shook as he asked, "What can I do?" Fear shot through him as he saw a smile once again curling the lips of Ghahin. In the short time that they had known each other he had already become desperately afraid of that wicked grin.

"The answer is obvious, my prince. You have to abandon the Valley and flee to the desert where your father won't hunt you. There are two witches who live in the Spirit Temple. They may help you become powerful enough to stop your father, for a price."

"If he gets his wish for eternal youth then I can't defeat him." Ganon was now shouting desperately. He yearned for a way out and he would even take the advice of a creature like Ghahin if it helped him escape.

Ghirahim chuckled. Mystical laws always had holes to be exploited. "Eternal youth doesn't necessarily mean eternal _life_, my dear prince." Before Ganon could reply, Ghahin and his black throne disappeared in a flash of violet diamonds.

The only one left on the archery course was a small child with flaming ginger hair, tan skin and mahogany eyes. If Ghahin had told the truth then this boy would soon be dead.


	10. Chapter 9: The Gatekeeper

The large stone cliff cast an enormous shadow on the sands of the desert. However this shade provided no relief from the heat that rose from the sand in distorting waves. The only feature of this flat expansive wasteland was a small oasis and several dried trees, too far from the cliff to be in its shadow during the day. It was in this oasis that a young boy was kneeling down and drinking from the cool water.

Ganon had fled the Gerudo Valley in order to escape his father. Several water skins, a short sword, and the clothes on his back were all the prince had taken with him. Many of the water skins had been emptied and dropped unceremoniously in the dust as he had journeyed. The few he had left he refilled at the oasis.

Ganon knew that the Desert Colossus, and by extension the Spirit Temple, were his best chance at sanctuary from Gorotdorf. The mad king had ridden back into Hyrule shortly before Ganon fled the valley, if Ghahin had told the truth he had found the Trayfors and would soon gain the eternal youth he so desperately craved. This also meant that attempting to journey into Hyrule or staying in the valley would be a death sentence.

Having gathered enough water, Ganon set off once again in the direction of the Colossus. His bare feet puffed up small amounts of alkali dust as he walked and his water skins hung at his hips like bloated sausages. He had dipped his ginger hair into the cool water of the oasis and it was now clinging to his tan face, beads of water and sweat mingling as they ran down his face. His eyes had dark circles beneath them and the eyes themselves now seemed to be a darker shade of mahogany than before. They were no longer the innocent eyes inherited from Kasima, a flower of darkness was slowly beginning to bloom behind them.

After learning what his father intended to do with him the thought had circled endlessly in his mind. Sacrifice. Sacrifice. _Sacrifice._ Gorotdorf wouldn't need him if, _when_, he got his wish of eternal youth. This thought had driven him through the journey to the sacred temple. He had walked without stopping from the gate of the Valley to this place. The soles of his feet were blackened and calloused. His face would have been raw from the sand stream if it weren't for the scarf, which was now lost, that he had wrapped it in. His skin, which had been a lighter tan before, was now a nearly uniform shade of bronze.

He walked away from the oasis and closer to the shadow of the cliff. He would reach the Colossus in a few hours, and hopefully be granted sanctuary by the Gatekeeper. In this desert, his status as a prince meant nothing, and if he were barred access to the Temple, he would have to return to the valley and face his inevitable death at the hands of his father.

Samia had arrived at the Spirit Temple three days ahead of her brother. She had lied to him about her reason for going to the temple; they had never collected water from this oasis, they had several wells established around the valley.

Gorotdorf had sent them to be trained by the Gatekeeper. Ganubi had been sent ahead to make sure they were granted sanctuary and Samia had received a message from her twin in the form of a scrap of papyrus tied to the leg of a guay.

Ganubi's message told her she had to be at the temple before sunset or the sanctuary would be revoked and they would be forbidden from training. She had ridden her horse, Astere, for over half the journey through the desert until she came to the river of sand, after which she had run on foot.

She had arrived just before sunset, the tanned skin of her face covered in a thick layer of alkali dust, her short chestnut hair matted with sand, and close to passing out from dehydration.

Ganubi had helped her to their quarters, a small, dark and dirty room that only contained a single stuffed mattress of dried straw that barely had room for two. Samia had spent eight hours feverish and exhausted from her journey. Ganubi had washed the dirt from her face and hair and tended to her shaking and sweating body until she had slipped into a deep sleep.

Samia had awoken the next morning to the sight of the back of her twin's dust brown tunic and golden hair as well as a note on the wall above their heads, it was written in thin, curved handwriting.

"_Your training in the mystik arts starts today. Your first task is to find the battleground. Once you are there, We shall give you further instructions. – _

_The Gatekeeper"_

"Ganubi, have you met the Gatekeeper yet?" She and her sister had left the small room where they has slept and were walking through one of many seemingly identical stone floored, torch-lit corridors attempting to find the battleground.

Ganubi brushed the bangs of her golden hair away from her forehead before answering. "When I got here I did what He had told me to. I asked for sanctuary for my twin and myself so we could be trained in the mystik arts. I was barely done speaking when this echoing voice told me that we would be granted sanctuary if you got here by sunset." She bit her full lower lip for a moment and then added, "The Gatekeeper sounded like a woman but with two voices."

It seemed as though she was going to add something else to this final odd statement when she suddenly stopped, causing Samia to run into her. A heavy, ornately decorated iron door blocked their way. The images in the door seemed to be shifting as the two girls stared at it, the one image that remained constant among the shifting runes was the central image carved into the dull gray metal, three downward-facing triangles interlocked with one another enclosed in a circle.

Ganubi tentatively reached out and placed her hand on this symbol. The second her hand touched the metal the symbol turned a black so absolute it seemed to bend the torch light towards it. Samia grabbed her sister's arm and wrenched it away from the metal as the door flew open with a crash that echoed throughout the entire building. The girls realized with mounting panic that they had found the battlegrounds, and much worse than that, they had found the Gatekeeper.

The ancient creature leered at them through bulging eyes that were clouded with cataracts. Its head was bare except for a few strands of dead white hair, the skin had been split in places revealing the yellowed bone of a skull. Even as they watched the thing's mouth seemed to rip open in a grin revealing blackened gums with the remains of what appeared to be pointed teeth. It spoke to them and its voice was the sound of a blade slicing through bone.

"So the offspring of the king have decided to honor us with their presence. Draw your weapons daughters of Flame, and prove that you are worthy to be taught by Twinrova." The creature let out an ear-piercing cackle of laughter before disappearing in a puff of dirty black smoke. In its place was a tall armored figure wielding a two-handed axe that looked capable of splitting them in half with a single swing. Both girls knew that they were facing an elite guardian of the Sprit Temple, an Iron Knuckle.

Without thinking, both women drew their weapons, Samia wielding a double-edged broadsword and Ganubi a curved scimitar with the inner-edge serrated like a saw blade. The Iron Knuckle swung its axe at Ganubi's head. She dodged but the blade came close enough to cut several strands of her golden hair.

Samia circled around the back trying to find a weak point or a gap in the thick armor. As the creature lifted the axe again to attempt another strike against Ganubi, she lunged and thrust her sword towards the creature's exposed underarm, only have one of the arms gripping the weapon's handle leave its place and swing towards her. She was hit squarely in the stomach by the monster's armor-clad forearm.

Both sisters heard the sound of Samia's ribs cracking like dry twigs as she fell to her knees and coughed blood onto the stone floor. The creature turned toward her, and Samia knew it was grinning even though a helmet covered its face. It raised its heavy axe for a third time, intending to remove her head. Samia however was grinning as well; they had powerful magik on their side while this creature had only brute strength. Samia gripped the hilt of her broadsword and began to focus her magik into it.

The monster never saw Ganubi drop her sword as her eyes turned from dark brown to a chilling icy-blue and her hands filled with crackling magik of the same color. She rushed at the armored figure and suddenly began screaming inarticulately at the top of her lungs; only two words could be understood as she rushed at the creature. She screamed "Tamiad Secak" and jumped with incredible agility onto the armored back of the Iron Knuckle. The second the ice-blue magic in her hands touched the monster's armor it began to bleed. The spell she had used was normally for gathering water from the ground after a rare desert rainstorm, but when used on a living creature it forcibly ripped the blood out through their skin.

The Iron Knuckle dropped its axe and Samia rolled away to avoid the blade, letting out a scream as her broken ribs scraped along the fracture lines. The armored creature fell shortly after its weapon did with a crash that made dust fall from the stone ceiling into the spreading pool of blood flowing from the armor.

Ganubi ran to her injured sister, her own hands were scarlet from where they had been cut on the jagged edges of the Knuckle's armor. "How did you know I was going use that spell? That thing could have killed you!"

Samia sat up and clutched at her stomach even through the pain a grin spread her face. "I didn't know actually. I was going to hit it with the flat of my blade to electrocute it when you jumped on top of the thing. I wish I had used it, I burned my hands from holding the lightning too long."

She held up her hand, they were swollen red around a black scorch mark in the shape of her sword's handle. Ganubi took her twin's blistered hand and pulled her up, clearly hearing the gasp of pain Samia let out, not only from the pressure on her blistered hand, but from her broken ribs as well.

Ganubi began to speak but was cut off by another thundering crash as another heavy iron door flew open, this time on the opposite side of the room.

Silhouetted by the flickering torchlight was the Gatekeeper, blind bulging eyes, nose like the beak of a guay, and its terrible rotted mouth once again split in a skull's grin. As the sisters stared at the creature in shock and disgust once again it let out another cackle full of malicious mirth. "It looks as though they _are_ able to fight. Come with us then Daughters of Flame and let your training with Twinrova truly begin."

As the sisters followed Twinrova out of the battlegrounds, the flickering torches casting their shadows on the wall, neither sister noticed that the Gatekeeper cast two shadows.


	11. Chapter 10: Husbands, Brothers and Sons

Roland sat in a small and very dirty saloon in Castle Town waiting for the bartender to bring him a drink. The bar owner, a hunched man named Havas who looked to be even dirtier than his building, was shuffling around taking orders from other customers.

Roland made no attempt to rush the aged barman, he had not come to this dirty corner of town just to get a drink. It was nearly 8 o' the clock, forty minutes later than they had agreed to arrive. As Havas began shuffling back over towards the knight's direction the door opened cutting the darkness of the pub with the setting sun's red light. Roland turned in his seat and saw a tall hooded figure silhouetted in the doorway. About time.

The cloaked figured closed the door, restoring the dingy room to its former gloomy darkness, and silently took a seat at one of the stained uneven wooden tables. The figure did not draw the attention of any other pub goers; hooded customers were common at the Stalfos' Rib.

The one who drew their attention was the Paladin. The shabby drunkards repeatedly shot him glances when they thought he was distracted. He had come in wearing a white tunic with a chainmail shirt underneath and chausses on his legs. This caused him to stand out so much against the dreary filth of the tavern that he almost seemed to glow with holy light.

Havas had shuffled back to Roland; he was holding a mug so indescribably foul that it looked as though it had never even been in the presence of water.

"I'll have your drink ready in a second, my lord." Havas had noticed the disgust that had flashed across Roland's face at the sight of the mug and was making an attempt to clean it on his apron as he spoke. All this did was add even more grime to the interior; a feat that Roland would have said was impossible. Havas scuttled over to one of the wooden casks where he kept the drink and filled the mug with deep brown mead, he came back holding the filthy mug in both hands and placed it on the stained, pitted wood of the bar.

Roland stood up from his damp chair and dropped a glittering yellow gem on the bar for Havas. He grabbed his glass of mead, though he had no intention of drinking it, and headed in the direction of the cloaked figure. On the way he gave the mead to a drunk and toothless soldier who downed it in one and promptly passed out on the dirt floor.

Making sure not to tread on any piece of the now snoring guard Roland continued his path to the cloaked figure. He was fully aware of the eyes following him, as well as the silence that had descended in the tavern, but he didn't care. He reached the table where the figure was sitting, his boots making scuffing sounds on the loose dirt and rocks of the tavern floor.

"Excuse me," Although he was whispering Roland's voice cut through the silence like a sword, "May I join you, preferably not for a drink, but at least for some conversation?" His voice was not its usual cheery baritone, but formal and somehow deeper than usual.

The cloak was black faded to gray from numerous washings and hung far over the figure's face, making the hood seem empty. However the figure gave a visible nod to the knight and he pulled out a damp wooden chair.

Roland leaned across the grimy table, he knew who was under the hood but it was easier to talk when he could see her.

"Don't take down the hood here, even the drunks can recognize your face. If you had come earlier we could have gotten out without attracting so much attention." Roland had lowered his voice to a hoarse barely audible whisper, but the longer they stayed in the tavern the more likely it became that someone would overhear.

"I was not late by choice," the figure whispered back, "it was your cousin that delayed me, he wanted to try do another political talk with me. He doesn't seem to understand that I lost what little authority I had when I came to Hyrule" She adjusted her hood slightly as Havas had slithered over towards them, her face shouldn't be seen.

"Well my lord, it seems you enjoyed the mead." Havas gave Roland a bitter look. He found it a personal insult that the knight had passed off his finest drink to an old drunkard. "Tell me would your hooded friend enjoy something, mayhap some graff?" Havas couldn't quite mask the resent still in his voice.

"We were just getting ready to leave. My companion and I have business elsewhere." Roland could die a happy man if he never had to see one of Havas's filth encrusted glasses again.

"Mayhap just one for the way to where e'er you're heading next then my lord?"

Havas was not just interested in getting as much money from this noble as he could. He enjoyed gossip, and wanted the story of why the cousin of His Majesty, the next in line for the throne, was having rendezvous with hooded strangers in his pub.

Roland didn't respond, he knew what the hunched barman wanted, and the sooner he left the less Havas would have to tell. He stood up from his chair and motioned to his companion to follow suit. They walked out together through the rotted wood door and retreated into the darkness.

As they went up the dirty stone alley where the pub was located the woman attempted to lower the hood covering her face but Roland took her hand and stopped her. "Not until we're somewhere safe, if you're seen at night it will be worse for you."

Kasima gave an exasperated sigh and lowered her hand, Roland did not let go however. Kasima wrenched her hand from Roland's grip as they continued walking.

"You _know_ I can defend myself if they try to do anything. You should know that better than anyone Roland. It's not like I haven't had to defend myself before now." She shot him a glare from under her hood so fierce Roland stopped in his tracks.

Roland now let out his own sigh and ran a hand through his dark blond hair. They'd had this conversation already, several times. "Kasima, you need to think. If someone sees your face you're going to be attacked. I know you can fight for yourself and that's the problem. If you murder your attacker it gives Harkinian a reason the throw you in the dungeon. The laws in Hyrule are not the same as the ones for your tribe."

Kasima didn't reply, she simply turned and walked away, her dark cloak billowing out behind her in the slight breeze. They had had this same argument more times than she could count and she was tired of trying convince him that she could fend for herself. He was running after her now, telling her to wait and not do anything reckless. She ignored him and increased her stride until she could no longer hear him calling after her.

When she came to the center of Castle Town she hesitated, torn between two destinations. She could head north to the castle, which would probably mean dealing with King Harkinian or Queen Zelda questioning her until she wanted to scream. She could also go northwest, past the shop with that terrifying mask salesman, to the Temple of Time. She had felt a fascination with the place ever since she had glimpsed it, as though someone inside was calling to her.

She suddenly turned around, causing her hood to fall to her shoulders, footsteps were approaching from the alley and from the sound it was more than one person. She reached to her hip for a sword that was not there, Roland had convinced her to stop carrying weapons when she went into the town, she would have to settle for using her bare hands against whoever was coming.

Five men walked into the flickering light of the lamppost. It was instantly obvious that they were soldiers because of the short swords on their belts and chainmail each of them wore, it was also immediately obvious that they were very drunk.

One of them screamed something so slurred Kasima couldn't understand it, the other drunks obviously _did_ understand their mate because all five staggered over to where she was standing,

"An' wha' do you think you're doin' out 'ere so late?" The one at the front of the pack asked her. Before Kasima could say anything the soldier let out an enormous belch, engulfing her in the sickening smell of filth, mead, overcooked meat and stale tobacco. He leaned in toward her, the smell of stale drink and tobacco hanging like a cloud over him, and looked at her intently with bloodshot eyes.

"I was just out taking a walk, I had a companion with me but he seems to have disappeared. I was just heading back to my home, now if you'll excuse me." Kasima turned and began walking away when she heard the sound of swords being unsheathed behind her.

The soldier at the front of the group began to scream, the drunkenness seemingly temporarily gone from his mind. "I knew I recognized you, you that stupid bitch who caused all this fightin' wit' them savage women! They killed both my sons you bitch!" He ran toward her sword raised aiming for her throat.

Instincts taking over Kasima whipped around and struck the man on his unarmored arm, however his sword managed to graze her forehead and cut the piece of rawhide holding her hair before it clattered to the ground. Her dark hair had become unbraided and now spilled across her face, darker than the night, as she glared at the soldiers, blood dripping down her face.

The one she had disarmed ran at her again, this time with a closed fist. She dodged him easily and caught his arm when he swung again. She threw him to the ground hard enough that she could actually hear the breath being forced out of his lungs.

Turning away from his unconscious body she looked at the other soldiers. They were cowering in fear their weapons completely forgotten. Despite the fact that he looked ready to piss himself one of the soldiers spoke up.

"A-all this is your fault! Good men, 'ave died, all 'cause of you! Their blood is on yer 'ands and that ain't somethin' we are jus' goin' to forget. We'll see to it that the king hangs you for all you done!" Kasima saw that tears were streaming down the young man's face despite the anger in his voice.

Kasima did the only thing that seemed to make sense. She ran. They wouldn't follow after her because they were too afraid of what she would do to them. She ran north towards the castle and was only stopped when she ran straight into Roland causing them to fall to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Roland extracted himself from under the Gerudo Queen and stood up, the relief on his face quickly shifting to anger. "Kasima where the _hell_ have you been? I thought you'd gone back to the castle so I was heading back there when you come out of nowhere and nearly split my head open on the ground!" He felt the anger drain away like water down a drain when he saw her face.

Kasima had gone completely pale, tears and blood were running down her cheeks, mixing together into clear red drops before hitting the ground. Roland knelt down put a hand on her shoulder but she brushed it away impatiently. She looked up at him, her mahogany eyes meeting his blue ones.

"Roland," her voice was calm despite the tears still rolling down her face, "How many Hylian soldiers have died since I started this war? Please I need to know"

Roland was completely caught off guard by this question. This was the first time Kasima had brought up the war raging between their people, and it reminded him uncomfortably that she was in fact _not_ a Hylian she was one of _them._

"The last count we got from the battlefield was over a week ago, but it was over five hundred Hyrulian soldiers. We don't have a count for the Gerudo soldiers but we're assuming they have lost about as many."

"Over five hundred. Husbands, sons, and brothers all because of me," She bent her head and her face was shielded from view by a dark curtain of her hair but Roland could see she was trembling even under her cloak. Roland placed a hand on her shoulder and this time she didn't brush it away, but covered it with her own.

"Over five hundred sons and husbands," she muttered, her voice now shaking as well, "All because I wanted to protect my child from a man I used to love."


	12. Chapter 11: Star of the Evening

The early morning silence of Gerudo Valley was shattered as an earsplitting roar echoed off the cliffs leading to the desert village. All over the valley women quickly ran inside their houses or sprinted to find some place they could hide. All of them recognized the sound that was rapidly approaching the gates. It was a sound of death on horseback. Gorotdorf rode into the center of the village on his black horse . He had not bothered to jump the main gates, instead his armored horse had rammed through them causing the heavy wood to shatter.

He leapt to the ground, orange flames leaking from his mouth as he roared, "**Where are they?! I want all of those miserable wretches on their knees before me now!**"

Several women quickly spilled from the surrounding huts and gathered around the king, kneeling down so far their foreheads touched the earth. They all silently hoped they were at a safe distance so that he would hopefully spare them the worst of his temper.

"**It appears my children have fled from me!**" Gorotdorf roared, a jet of fire exploded from his mouth turning the sand around him into glass. "**But I know that one of the miserable wretches is still here, bring me Inesti so that she may take the punishment for all of them.**"

Inesti quickly emerged from one of the huts, choosing to jump through the window instead of leaving through a door. She looked more like her mother than ever. Her black hair was unbound, and it looked as if darkest night was spilling onto her shoulders. Her body was covered in studded leather armor and a sword hung at her hip. She stepped over the kneeling women and faced her father, glaring at him with the same mahogany eyes he possessed.

For a moment Gorotdorf thought his wife had returned to him, and this only increased his rage. Here stood the eternal reminder of the pact Kasima had broken with him. This _girl_ had begun stealing his magik from the moment she was born and now she had allowed Ganon to escape from him for a second time. Gorotdorf roared and wrapped his fist in Inesti's long black hair and pulled her face inches away from his own.

"**Tell me where they went and I promise you won't be killed."**

Inesti was completely unfazed by this threat and she calmly stood before her seemingly insane father, never breaking eye contact.

"If I knew where they were I would have left to join them already Father."

Gorotdorf released his daughter's hair and threw her to the ground. Inesti landed hard on her side but quickly stood up again, trying hard to conceal look of hatred that had flashed across her face. Gorotdorf drew his short sword, it was time to end the pathetic mistake of a girl that he had allowed to live for over twenty years. He lunged at Inesti but his movements were clumsy and clouded by rage allowing his daughter to quickly roll out of the way and draw her long sword. Inesti quickly tied her hair back with a piece of rawhide, her father had grabbed it once and she didn't want to give him another chance.

The kneeling Gerudo women quickly scattered, this was the first time Inesti had drawn a weapon against the king, and none of them wanted to be caught in the middle of the clash.

Gorotdorf ran at her once more, missing again and screaming incoherently at the young woman, blue fire burned in his mouth and his hair was a blazing inferno. The women, now watching from a safe distance, saw the reason Gorotdorf referred to himself as the Inferno King.

Inesti pulled a knife from the pouch on her waist and threw it, aiming for the king's heart, only to have him swat the blade out of the air like a fly. Gorotdorf made another lunge for her, more in control than the previous ones, Inesti was forced to raise her sword to block him this time.

Gorotdorf, his temper now focused only on his daughter, was quickly gaining the upper hand in the fight. Inesti had not been able to block several of his attacks and instead was forced to dodge and weave, taking advantage of her superior speed but still unable to do much more than defend. After dodging another slash, this one seemingly meant to remove her arm, Inesti quickly decided to stay down on her knees.

Gorotdorf, seeing his chance raised his sword above his head to deliver the final blow. In the split second before he began his downswing Inesti stepped in under his guard and attempted to drive a knife into the gem on her father's forehead. The blade was deflected off the gem and instead drew a ragged line down the king's face from his forehead to his cheek, missing his eye by less than an inch. Blood poured into Gorotdorf's eyes, temporarily blinding him. Inesti took her advantage and smashed his hand with the pommel of her sword, forcing him to drop his weapon.

Gorotdorf wiped at his eyes with his uninjured hand only to have the blood begin flowing once more. Screaming in pain and frustration the king ignited a flame from his fingertip. Inesti watched in horror as he moved his hand closer to the bleeding gash on his face. Gorotdorf let out another scream of pain and the rancid smell of burning skin filled the air as he began searing the wound shut, leaving a grotesque line of red down his face.

Inesti was quickly backing away, her lips silently moving as she spoke an incantation. Gorotdorf abandoned his sword and began moving towards Inesti, he did not run at her, instead he took long, deliberate strides that quickly closed the gap between them. He raised a hand above his head and created a large ball of fire around his fist. He did not intend to throw it, instead he simply wanted to punch the girl and watch as his hand came out her back.

The incantations Inesti had been reciting were not for an immediate counter-attack, when they finished she would not be able to kill her father only force him make an escape. Inesti was working the only spell that she had not been taught to her by tutors or learned on her own, this was the only spell Kasima had ever taught her.

_Kasima stood with her eldest daughter in a hidden cave on the archery course, just outside the village. Inesti, only eleven years old, stood wide-eyed across from her mother. She thought Kasima had the beauty of the Desert Goddess herself, and she cherished the small amount of time she was able to spend with her mother. _

_Kasima's pregnancy with Ganon was quite far along and each day she felt the urgency of what she must do squeezing her heart like an iron band. Kasima laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Inesti, what I am teaching you is beyond forbidden. If your father ever learns that you were taught this spell he will murder you. Now I want you to commit these final words to memory, Dosarn Dorf Kayib, Eysemme Kiabrat Navuhassa, Huya Umas aee Situsou." _

_Kasima quickly put her hand over her daughter's mouth as she began speaking the words aloud. _

"_Don't speak the incantation unless you are sure your father is about to end your life. Inesti, I know that I failed to be a good mother, but please know that I love you with all my heart. You are my hope, my Star of the Evening." Kasima leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. _

Gorotdorf swung his fist at Inesti and missed. He saw the girl was trying to cast a spell against him. The king smirked. He assumed she must be out of options because she was resorting to using magik against him. It wouldn't any better than her previous strategies, her magik was powerful but not strong enough to have any effect against him

Inesti dove through the window of one of the huts desperately trying to finish the spell. She lay on the dirt floor of the house and reached into her pouch again, producing another knife. She quickly cut both her palms as Gorotdorf punched a hole in the wall of the hut. Inesti shouted the final words of the spell at the top of her lungs.

"_Dosarn Dorf Kayib Eysemme Kiabrat Navuhassa, Huya Umas aee Situsou_! Bound King, be released by the power of Eysemme! I demand the crown!"

Gorotdorf was sent flying from the hut by a ball of purple-black fire. He landed against the wall of another home and clawed his way back up the wall. He had no idea what Inesti had done, but she was using his own magik against him. Inesti stepped through the doorway of the partially demolished hut, her hands were full of the same purple fire that she had just launched at Gorotdorf. She briefly held her hands together and as she moved them apart she produced a sword made of flames. She held the tip this blade to her father's throat.

"I could kill you Father." She said this is in a light detached tone, as if she was merely commenting on the weather. "I could kill you, but Ganon is the one meant to do that, I made a promise to Kasima that I would let him have you for the ritual. But I think it is in your best interest to leave the village. Ganon is under the protection of the Temple Guardians, I expect by now they have taught him the ritual. He might have even made a sacrifice. You could go to the Spirit Temple, but that would be exactly what he needs."

Inesti suppressed a smirk as she saw the gleam of triumph in her father's eyes. He had taken the bait. She lowered her flaming sword and watched Gorotdorf slink away, he mounted his horse and rode past her, off into the desert.

When he was out of earshot Inesti began to laugh. Her plan had gone off without a hitch.

A/N: Well it's been a very long time. How have you been?

I could give you guys the usual Fanfic author speech about why this chapter took so long (College is tough, ya know?), but instead I'll just tell you that the story is not dead. I have an ending planned that I think will be a great surprise for everyone. How many more chapters it will take for me to get to the ending is something I haven't decided. I think that you can look forward to at least three more after this.

If you have a guess about the ending feel free to include with your chapter review.


	13. QUESTION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE STORY

I am going to be re-writing all the chapters of my Ganondorf story. I started in High School and I feel like it would be good to make some touch-ups, fix some minor errors in continuity and make the characters better all around.

Now the question is, do I post this as a completely new version of the story or should I just replace the chapters?


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